After 22 years at WBAL-TV, Donna Hamilton will step down from the anchor desk on May 23, the station announced today.

Hamilton is retiring from broadcasting, according to Dan Joerres, president and general manager of the station.

“Donna is a staple of not only this television station, but of the entire community,” Joerres wrote in an email to the Sun. “Her talents, expertise and warm smile will be sorely missed in our building."

Hamilton, who graduated from the University of Alabama-Birmingham, came to Baltimore in 1981 to join WJZ’s “Evening Magazine.” She worked there from 1981 to 1990.

In 1991, she and her husband, David Paulson, formed a production company in Baltimore that made documentaries.

She joined WBAL-TV in 1995 to anchor the station’s 5 p.m. newscast. She now anchors at 5, 6 and 11 p.m.

WBAL anchor Donna Hamilton announced Wednesday she is stepping down after 22 years at the station. Here's a look back at her time in Baltimore.

“Donna has been a key contributor to our collective success for over 20 years,” Joerres said in WBAL statement. “She has made significant contributions to both our station and the city of Baltimore during her time here at WBAL-TV. We are excited to celebrate Donna’s career over the next few months.”

Hamilton did not immediately respond to a Sun request for comment.

In a statement from the station, she said, “It has been a privilege and an honor to be able to bring the news of the day to people in Maryland for 22 years. I can’t believe it’s been that long. And to be able to work with such a talented and dedicated group of people over the years I’ve been here at WBAL-TV has truly been pleasure.”